Swimsuit Appreciation Day
by alwayssmilingsam
Summary: Spoilers - Christmas Special 2016 - An afternoon at the beach allows Patrick and Shelagh some carefree time together.


**Spoilers for the 2016 Christmas Special (although nothing that will spoil the show for you). I always love to hear what you think.**

They had been at Hope Mission in South Africa for just over two weeks when Fred declared an afternoon off. The nuns unsurprisingly said they would remain behind as the midwives and Reverend Hereward eagerly agreed to take the truck to the beach about an hour away.

Once again Shelagh Turner was happy to have left the Order, otherwise she would be remaining at the hot mission covered in a head to ankle habit instead of teasing her husband with a purchase she had made during their overnight stay in Elizabeth before they had left for the remote mission.

Patrick Turner's breath caught as he watched his wife dress for an afternoon at the beach.

"Are you planning to wear _that_?" Patrick choked out.

His wife smirked before turning around to face him, glad the swimsuit had the desired effect on her husband. "Is there something wrong with it dear?"

"No. No. Not at all." Patrick said with a gleam in his eye and moved closer to wrap her in his arms. "In fact I would say it is very right. I'm just not sure I want anyone else seeing you in it." He growled as he nibbled at her collarbone.

Just as Shelagh tilted her head to give her husband better access there was a loud knock at the door. "C'mon on then you two. Truck's leaving in five minutes." They heard Fred holler through the door.

Shelagh gently pushed her husband away and put a matching loose fitting dress over her swimsuit and gathered her hat and sunglasses. "Are you coming dear?" Shelagh turned to look at her husband who had yet to move.

"Yes. Of course. Sorry." Patrick gathered his sunglasses, a few books and his notebook. While the others relaxed on the beach he wanted to do some further investigation into Dr Fitzsimmons condition.

"Oh Patrick, must you?" Shelagh asked as she saw what he was bringing.

"I know. But I have a new theory and I want to read up on it and this may be the only chance I get." Shelagh sighed and knew asking Patrick to take an afternoon off was like asking the sun not to shine. Being a doctor was so much a part of him it was as if it was in the blood flowing through his veins.

….

Shelagh cringed inwardly as she saw the 'Whites Only' sign as they approached the beach. That was one of the things she had found the hardest being in South Africa. She had seen poverty before, and that had not surprised her, but the willful oppression of one group of human beings over another, simply because of the colour of their skin was still something she could not fathom.

The secluded, beach was lovely and the small group set up their picnic in the early afternoon sun. The three younger women decided the water was too inviting not to take a paddle and they all shed their dresses and walked down to the water's edge.

Patrick could not take his eyes off his wife as she walked with Trixie and Barbra.

"'ard to believe it was only three years ago she was a nun." Fred said as he watched Patrick watching his wife.

"Who was a nun?" Phyllis Crane asked.

"Mrs Turner." Fred responded. "She was Sister Bernadette f'r over ten years. Right good one she was too, until she fell for the doc 'ere." Fred smirked hoping he wasn't offending said doc.

"She was a good one Fred." Patrick smiled. "Much better wife though."

"I'm sorry but I can't seem to get my head round it. You mean to tell me that three years ago Mrs Turner was a nun at Nonnatus House?" Phyllis clarified.

"Sure was. She was Sister Julienne's number two." Fred explained. "Delivered my Marlene's first, she did. Always got called in for the complicated ones."

Patrick sat there quietly listening to Fred tell Nurse Crane about his amazing wife.

"I knew she had been a midwife before your marriage doctor, I had no idea she had been a sister too." Phyllis was utterly gobsmacked.

"It's not something Shelagh is really comfortable talking about." Patrick explained, not taking his eyes off his wife who was now waist deep in the water. He was suddenly bitterly disappointed he hadn't worn his own swim trunks. "It took her some time to…adjust."

Patrick leaned forward and took off his shoes and rolled his pants up to his knees. "I think I might wander down for a paddle myself." He stood and walked down towards the water. Fred watched as Shelagh turned just as Patrick started to walk and caught her husband's eye. Her face transformed into a brilliant smile as she saw him.

"Practically still newlyweds them two." Fred said to Phyllis as he watched the doctor and his wife. "A real team too, kinda hard to imagine them not together now."

…..

Shelagh started to walk out of the water and quickly bent and splashed her husband. Patrick stood there dripping wet, not quite believing his wife had been that bold. He came to his senses and realized the Shelagh of three years ago would never have done it, the Shelagh in front of him, in her fashionable swimsuit and sunglasses, who encouraged him to come halfway around the world to restore his faith in medicine and left her two beloved children to accompany him, would definitely be that bold.

"You just declared war my love." Patrick grinned and launched forward and grabbed his wife around the waist. Once he had her in his grasp he effortlessly scooped her into his arms and, disregarding how wet his pants were becoming, he waded out to mid-thigh and unceremoniously dumped his wife into the ocean.

Shelagh came up spluttering. "I can't believe you just did that Patrick Turner!" She said angrily. Seeing the look on his wife's face he thought he may have pushed her too far, which was never a good thing. Feeling remorseful he leaned forward to grasp her around the waist but before he knew what she was doing, she got a devilish gleam in her eye before darting out of his way causing him to overbalance and fall forward into the water.

As Patrick emerged from the water Shelagh launched herself on top of him causing them both to go under again. This time when they came up for air Patrick immediately captured her lips with his.

"Truce?" He whispered as they reluctantly broke apart.

"Kiss me like that again and I'll agree to anything." Shelagh whispered as she nestled herself in his arms.

"Good to know Mrs Turner. I might just put that to the test later tonight." Patrick grinned at her.

Shelagh grew serious. "Is it wrong to be having this much fun while we are here?" She asked her husband, concerned that she shouldn't be feeling this happy.

"Oh Love. I think taking one afternoon off to enjoy each other's company when we have been here for over two weeks is perfectly acceptable."

"It's a good thing Timothy isn't here to see our embarrassing behavior, we would never hear the end of it." Shelagh's good mood returning with her husband's words.

"Let's hope Nurse Crane isn't capturing the whole thing on her camera." Patrick laughed. Shelagh loved to her the sound of her husband's laugh, it was a sound she hadn't heard nearly enough recently.

"She wouldn't!" Shelagh was concerned. "Would she?"

"Let's go and see shall we?" Patrick once again scooped his wife into his arms and carried her up the beach, the whole time she giggled and struggled to get free. Once they rejoined the rest of the group Patrick gently let her down on to the beach towel. "Shelagh was hoping you had captured our antics on your camera Nurse Crane so we can use the photos to embarrass Timothy."

Shelagh blushed and glared at her husband.

"Did I get that wrong love?"

"You know perfectly well you did Patrick Turner. I was hoping there would be no photos of us carrying on like children." Shelagh told him.

"I think it's lovely to see two people so in love." Barbra said looking lovesick.

"Yes, well….." Shelagh began.

Patrick placed a hand gently on her sunburnt shoulder. "Normally we don't subject other people to our carry on – we generally save that for Timothy." He laughed.

…

Several hours later Patrick stood and held his hand out to his wife. "Take a walk with me?"

Shelagh smiled, stood and took the offered hand. They slowly walked back down to the water and Patrick wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.

"I'm finally dry so no splashing love."

Shelagh grinned at the memory. "Of course not, it would be a terribly uncomfortable trip back to the mission if you were wet."

"Oh, I should probably warn you, Nurse Crane had no idea about Sister Bernadette. Fred seemed to take great delight in enlightening her."

Shelagh crossed her leg in front of her, a sure sign she was nervous. "What exactly did he say?" She asked quietly.

"He sang your praises, said you were one of the best nuns. I assured them both that you were a much better wife. I couldn't do this to Sister Bernadette." He leaned down and captured her lips with his own. Instinctively Shelagh deepened the kiss. When they eventually drew apart Shelagh reached up to anchor her hat back on her head as it had almost fallen off during their kiss.

"I'm so very glad you can do that too Patrick. I love you." Patrick gently ran his hand along her cheek. They didn't say the words often, yet they both felt it in the little things they did for each other, the looks they gave each other, the gentle caresses they often stole.

"I love you too. Very, very much." The couple stood in silence, looking out over the water as the sun began to lower in the sky. "I think we need to spend more time as a family." Patrick said. "I don't want to let this precious time with you and our children slip by while I am constantly working."

"Patrick, you do a hard job and you are dedicated to it, being a doctor isn't just an occupation, it is who you are."

"No love it is a part of who I am and I do love it, but the other parts of me are a husband and father and I don't think being a doctor should come before those."

"You are a wonderful husband and father Patrick, don't ever doubt that." Shelagh told him sincerely.

"Be that as it may," Patrick brushed off her words, "it occurs to me that in three years of marriage we have had one family holiday, this summer I think we might finally have that two weeks in Lyme Regis I promised you some time ago."

"You don't need to do that dear."

"Oh I think I do. If for no other reason than if I don't take you for a seaside holiday, I may never get to see you in this rather fetching swimsuit again." Patrick grinned.


End file.
